Shrimp Wontons done right

Wontons as I like to call them are the “gift wrapped food” and are served steaming hot. They can be served steamed, fried or boiled with a soup. They originated in Northern China. The history of wontons dates back to the Tang dynasty. During that period, dumplings were very popular as a snack and were mainly eaten by the royal families due to their delicate shape and their preparation. They were prepared in a variety of shapes and fillings and were also called “hundred flavour wontons” and were considered as a delicacy among the wealthy.The popularity of dumplings also led to the creation of the wontons. Wontons are usually confused with Chinese dumplings but are different from them and only people familiar with both of them can differentiate. Firstly wonton is made with square wrappers whereas dumplings are made with round ones. Secondly wonton wrappers are thinner than the dumpling wrappers and they turn translucent when steamed. In China, it is common to associate and consume some particular food with their festivals and wontons were traditionally consumed on mid-winter day. There are numerous restaurants across China that serves them steaming hot. Wonton is even more popular when it is served in a soup. There was a particular variety of wonton made by a famous doctor with medicinal ingredients used to cure frost bite. Wontons were also considered medicinal even in ancient China as they were always prepared fresh and were made using the local herbs and spices, which in itself had medicinal properties. You can fill wonton wrappers with all kinds of healthy ingredients and medicinal plants, suppressing the bitter flavour of the medicinal plants with herbs and spices used to make the filling, making the medicine taste better and palatable. You can stuff wontons with a variety of ingredients ranging from chicken, shrimp, beef or fish, along with ginger and shallots. There are numerous wonton recipes like the Hong Kong fried wonton, Sanxian wonton filled with shrimps, and the Sichuan pepper flavoured hot and spicy wontons. The wonton wrapper is the most important part of a wonton. Although wonton wrappers are prepared by chefs who specialise in the trade, modern technology has made readymade wonton wrappers a reality, enabling non-specialised cooks to make this delicacy with confidence. Shrimp WontonIngredientsFor wontonShrimp, shelled, deveined 400gmGinger, fine chopped 1 tspGarlic, fine chopped 1 tspSesame oil ½ tspOyster sauce ½ tspSalt To tasteWhite pepper 1/3 tspCastor sugar 1 tspRice vinegar 1 tbspCoriander leaves, chopped 3-4 sprigsScallions, chopped 1 tbspWonton sheets 15-18 nosEgg, whipped 1 noFor Onion surprise dipping sauceGinger, fine chopped 1 tbspGarlic, fine chopped 1 tbspBlack pepper ½ tspSalt To tasteCooking oil 3 tbspSpring onion 4 tbspCoriander leaves 4 tbspFor chili dipping sauceGinger, fine chopped 1 tbspGarlic, fine chopped 1 tbspOnion, fine chopped 3 tbspCelery, fine chopped 1 tbspGreen chili chop, fine chopped 1 tbspTomato ketchup 5 tbspChili paste 2 tbspSesame oil 1 tbspSalt To tasteBlack Pepper crushed 1/2 tspSpring onion, chopped 2 tbspCoriander leaves chopped 2 tbspBrown garlic 1 tbspMethodPeel, devein and wash the shrimps and pat dry.Coarsely chop into small pieces.Add fine chopped ginger, garlic, sesame oil, oyster sauce, salt, white pepper powder, castor sugar, rice vinegar, coriander leaves, scallions and mix well to make the stuffing.Place the prepared stuffing in the centre of each wonton sheet.Start folding the sheet upwards in circular motion to make a bag shape and keep aside.Repeat until all the filling is used.You can also fold the wonton sheet into half to make a triangle and then again half to make a smaller triangle with the filling inside.Steam in a pre-heated steamer for 10-12 minutes or until the wrapper turns translucent.You can also deep fry the prepared wontons over medium heat if you like them crispy.While the wontons are being steamed, prepare the dipping sauce.For the green onion sauce, fine chop all the ingredients required and place in a steel bowl. Heat cooking oil up to its smoking point and then slowly pour over the ingredients. Allow to cool down. For the chili dipping sauce, heat sesame oil in a wok and add all the mentioned ingredients into the wok and sauté for 2-3 minutes.Remove from flame and allow to cool down. Once the wontons are cooked, serve hot along the prepared sauces.